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Finding nothing to detain us about the spot where Ostend once had stood, we set

out up the coast in search of the mouth of the River Rhine, which I purposed

ascending in search of civilized man. It was my intention to explore the Rhine as

far up as the launch would take us. If we found no civilization there we would

return to the North Sea, continue up the coast to the Elbe, and follow that river

and the canals of Berlin. Here, at least, I was sure that we should find what we

sought--and, if not, then all Europe had reverted to barbarism.

The weather remained fine, and we made excellent progress, but everywhere

along the Rhine we met with the same disappointment--no sign of civilized man,

in fact, no sign of man at all.

I was not enjoying the exploration of modern Europe as I had anticipated--I was

unhappy. Victory seemed changed, too. I had enjoyed her company at first, but

since the trip across the Channel I had held aloof from her.

Her chin was in the air most of the time, and yet I rather think that she regretted

her friendliness with Snider, for I noticed that she avoided him entirely. He, on

the contrary, emboldened by her former friendliness, sought every opportunity to

be near her. I should have liked nothing better than a reasonably good excuse to

punch his head; yet, paradoxically, I was ashamed of myself for harboring him

any ill will. I realized that there was something the matter with me, but I did not

know what it was.

Matters remained thus for several days, and we continued our journey up the

Rhine. At Cologne, I had hoped to find some reassuring indications, but there

was no Cologne. And as there had been no other cities along the river up to that

point, the devastation was infinitely greater than time alone could have wrought.

Great guns, bombs, and mines must have leveled every building that man had

raised, and then nature, unhindered, had covered the ghastly evidence of human

depravity with her beauteous mantle of verdure. Splendid trees reared their

stately tops where splendid cathedrals once had reared their domes, and sweet

wild flowers blossomed in simple serenity in soil that once was drenched with

human blood.

Nature had reclaimed what man had once stolen from her and defiled. A herd of

zebras grazed where once the German kaiser may have reviewed his troops. An

antelope rested peacefully in a bed of daisies where, perhaps, two hundred years

ago a big gun belched its terror-laden messages of death, of hate, of destruction

against the works of man and God alike.

We were in need of fresh meat, yet I hesitated to shatter the quiet and peaceful

serenity of the view with the crack of a rifle and the death of one of those

The Lost Continent